1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer telephony systems and methods, and more particularly to a system and method for integrating voice and fax messages with email messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Voice mail systems have been widely used in businesses to provide voice messaging and facsimile messaging. In addition, individuals are increasingly using voice mail services in their homes, replacing conventional answering machines, and on their cellular telephones. Voice mail services are typically provided by a central voice server connected to a public switched telephone network, allowing access to individual voice mailboxes from most telephones worldwide.
Electronic mail (xe2x80x9cemailxe2x80x9d) has also increased in popularity among both businesses and individuals for personal use. Businesses typically provide email through an email server connected to a local area network or through an Internet Service Provider. The Internet has also become more accessible to individuals who often have personal email addresses, in addition to work email addresses. Email messaging has become standardized over the Internet, and now most email messages conform to the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). In addition, most users access their email through a standard email reader, such as Microsoft Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, or Netscape Mail.
As both forms of messaging have grown in popularity, many individuals have both voicemail and email accounts, with each providing unique advantages. Voicemail is accessible through virtually any telephone, and can thus be accessed remotely from a cellular telephone or a payphone, and is the most common messaging format for conveying audio messages. Email is usually textual or graphical in nature and requires a computer for access. Because individuals often rely on both voicemail and email it would be desirable to integrate the messaging features.
One solution known in the art is to provide a unified messaging system that can be used to retrieve various types of messages. However, such unified messaging systems usually require a proprietary reader program or the replacement of an email server with a specialized unified messaging server. These prior art systems are costly and generally require users to replace their current email reader program.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for integrating voice and fax messages with email messages that is cost-effective and can be utilized with standard email readers.
In one embodiment, a voice server for providing integrated voice mail and email messaging is provided. The voice server includes a telephone interface for providing telephone services to the voice server, and a network interface for providing communications between the voice server and each of an email server and an email client. The voice server also includes a processor and a program memory for storing program instructions for controlling the processor to provide voice mail messaging services for a plurality of voice mailboxes. At least one of the voice mailboxes is adapted to forward each recorded voice mail message to a designated email address on the email server. The voice mail message is forwarded as part of an email message which is adapted so that the email client can play the voice mail message through speakers on the email client.
In an alternate embodiment, the voice server includes at least one voice mailbox that is adapted to create a message reference to uniquely identify each recorded voice mail message and to send each message reference to a designated email address of the email client. The message reference is forwarded as part of an email message. The voice server is further adapted to provide voice mail services corresponding to each recorded voice mail message to the email client through the network interface.
A method for integrating voice mail and email is also provided. The method is for use in a network system including a voice server for providing voice mail services for at least one voice mailbox, an email server for providing email services for a plurality of email addresses, and at least one email client for retrieving email messages from an email address on the email server.
The steps of a first preferred embodiment of the method are performed by the voice server. First, a voice mail message is recorded in the at least one of the voice mailboxes. Next, an email message is created and is addressed to an email address associated with the at least one voice mailbox. The recorded voice mail message is attached to the email message and then the email message is sent from the voice server to the designated email address on the email server. In one embodiment, the voice server operates as an SMTP server and communicates with the email server and email client by sending the receiving messages over the Internet.
The email client is adapted to retrieve the email message, and by utilizing the message reference, can provide services for retrieving and manipulating the voice mail message through the email client. If the voice mail message is in a format that is unreadable by the email client, the voice mail message may be converted to a multimedia audio file by the voice server. The voice server can also verify that the email message was received at the designated email address and delete the voice mail message from the voice mailbox after the email message is properly received by the email server.
In addition, the voice server may also receive email messages. If the voice server receives an email with an attached audio file, the voice server will determine a voice mailbox that should be associated with the email message. The attached audio file would then be saved as a new voice mail message in the determined voice mailbox.
A second preferred embodiment of the method for integrating voice mail and email, performed by the voice server is also provided. After a first voice mail message is recorded in at least one voice mailbox, a first email message addressed to an email address associated with the at least one voice mailbox is created. A message reference for the first voice mail message is then created. The message reference includes data to uniquely identify the first voice mail message on the voice server. Next, the first email message and the message reference from the voice server are sent to the designated email address on the email server. The email client is adapted to retrieve the first email message from the email server, and by utilizing the message reference, provide services for retrieving and manipulating the first voice mail message.
The voice server may also be adapted to receive certain commands from the email client. The voice server may receive a command to download the first voice mail message from the voice server to the email client so that the email client may play the voice mail message through speakers on the email client. The voice server may also receive a command to play the first voice mail message over a designated telephone. The voice server will then place a call to the designated telephone and play the first voice mail message over the telephone after the telephone call is answered.
The voice server is also adapted to receive a command to reply to the voice mail message over a designated telephone. In such a case, the voice server will place a call to the designated telephone and record a second voice mail message over the telephone after the telephone call is answered. The second voice mail message is then saved in the voice mailbox of the party that left the first voice mail message.
The user of the email client may reply to the voice mail message through email. The email client will send a reply command to the voice server, including a message file. Upon receipt of the command and message file, the voice server will save the message file as a second voice mail message in the voice mailbox of the party that left the first voice mail message. If the message file is in a text format, then the voice server may convert the message file to an audio format so that the message file may be played over a telephone.
The first voice mail message may also be deleted from the email client. The voice server may receive a delete command from the email client to delete the corresponding first voice mail message. When the first voice mail message is deleted from the voice server, the voice server will create a second email message to the designated email address and include instructions to delete the first email message corresponding and its corresponding message reference. The first email mail message will be deleted when the second email message is processed by the email client.
The voice server and methods described above can also be utilized to integrate facsimile messaging with email messaging in similar manners.
A more complete understanding of the System and Method for Providing Integrated Messaging will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages and objects thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings which will first be described briefly.